In-home air purification may not be on the top of your priority list, but it should be. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has stated that "indoor air pollution is one of the top five most urgent environmental risks to the public." In fact, numerous studies have concluded that indoor air quality can be up to 5 times more harmful than outdoor air. For this reason, it is imperative to at least consider the possibility of using an air purification system in your home. While there are many types, all air purification systems can dramatically decrease the amount of allergens, dust, pollen, dust mite feces, and other harmful irritants in your home.

Media Filters

This is the simplest and most commonly found type of purification device. This type of system forces air through a filter, which can be made from various types of materials, such as paper, cotton, or other fibers. The filter then traps particles through size exclusion, removing them from the atmosphere inside your home.

Electronic Filters

Sometimes called Ionizers, these filters use charged electrical surfaces to generate electrically charged ions. The ions attach themselves to particles, which are then elecrostatically attracted to a charged collector plate, effectively removing the particle form the airstream. These systems can usually be found either with or without a fan.

Humidification

These systems are pretty self-explanatory. A filter is combined with a humidifier, allowing you to add needed humidity to your home. The benefit of humidification is that many bacteria and viruses can only exist or thrive in low-humidity environments. By increasing the humidity level in your home, you can effectively decrease the levels of harmful illness-causing agents in your home. Increased humidity can also help with allergies, asthma, and other respiratory problems.

Ultraviolet Filtration

These systems are sometimes referred to as UVGI systems, which stand for Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation. These systems are extremely effective at removing mold and bacteria. They work by neutralizing and destroying microorganisms found in the atmosphere, such as bacteria and viruses.

Contact your local HVAC service technician to help find which type of home air purification will be best for you and your home. Other factors to consider when choosing an air purification system include noise level, filter replacement frequency, building size, and health conditions and history.

By: Budda Oliver
Mr. Oliver is a marketing agent of Arundel Cooing and Heating. The HVAC contracting company provides heating and cooling services throughout Maryland. For more information on their HVAC Contractor please visit their website.

The term geothermal literally means Earth/Ground (Geo) Heat (thermal). Geothermal, or ground source heat pumps, take advantage of the constant ground or groundwater temperatures. These heat pumps use geothermal energy to heat and/or cool your home.

A refrigerant loop with a compressor extracts heat from one side (the ground) and pumps it to the heating loop in your home. It is essentially the same process that happens in your refrigerator: heat is extracted via a compressor and refrigerant loop from the inside of your refrigerator/freezer and rejected into your house.

In the summer the geothermal heat pump reverses its cycle, if you have an air-conditioning system, and heat from the home is rejected into the ground or ground water.

What makes geothermal heat pumps such a good choice for residential heating and cooling is that they do not depend on outside air temperatures. These heat pumps will heat your home as efficiently on a windy, zero-degree winter day as on a 40-degree day. Provided of course, that your house is well insulated and tight.

Geothermal heat pumps are also a very efficient way for heating and cooling your home. They use 25-50% less energy than conventional heating and cooling systems (Source: US DOE).

Residential applications of geothermal energy systems use water-to-water or water-to-air heat pumps.

Water-to-Water Geothermal Heat Pumps

Water-to-water geothermal heat pumps are generally used for heating only. They replace the gas or oil furnace that you might currently have to heat your home and water with.

It is important to know that heat pumps work most effectively when the temperature difference between the heat source (ground) and heat sink (floor heat or radiators) is small.

Ground temperatures range anywhere from 50 to 75 degF, depending on where you live. This means that geothermal heat pumps are generally not suitable for standard hot water baseboard applications, which are designed for heating water temperatures of 180 degF. Floor heat and low-temperature radiators require water temperatures in the range of 95 to 140 degF.

Some newer heat pump models are now equipped with so-called desuperheaters that can transfer excess heat from the geothermal heat pump compressor to the domestic water heater. Your geothermal heat pump can also effectively and quickly heat water for your bathtub, shower and sinks.

Water-To-Air Geothermal Heat Pumps

These types of ground source heat pumps are generally used when you need air conditioning. The Water is the heat sink, where you reject the heat from the house. The Air is the air that is distributed through your home via duct work.

Otherwise, these heat pumps function the same way as water-to-water heat pumps. And again, the efficiency of a geothermal heating and cooling system is far better than that of a traditional system.

Important To Know

The first step towards making a geothermal heat pump system be a reliable and efficient heating (and cooling) system for your home is to minimize the heating and cooling requirements with a well-insulated building envelope and strategically placed windows for passive solar gain.

Not only is your first cost reduced, because your system will be smaller. You will also tremendously increase the comfort of your home.

Geothermal heat pump systems are best designed and installed by professionals. It is not recommended to DIY. These systems must meet specific requirements. Especially the piping laid out in the ground, or down to the ground water table, must be designed and installed correctly to ensure that your geothermal heat pump system works as intended.

By: Christiane Perrin
Christiane Perrin is a registered professional HVAC engineer with a passion for the environment. She is excited about the building industry going green and wants to support homeowners on their journey to building and remodeling green homes.
http://www.greenandsustainablebuildings.com

Sometimes the new furnace performs no better than the one it replaced.

Issues such as comfort and inferior indoor air quality still exist in their home.

The reason for the disappointing results is the heating contractor fails to recognize that a furnace is only one part of a heating system.

Other components of the "system" include ductwork, air registers, air filters and thermostat.

Some contractors install a new furnace with the same heating capacity as the old.

This can be a big mistake especially if new windows have been installed or insulation added to the home after the original furnace was installed.

You'll end up with a furnace that is oversized for the house. Oversized furnaces are less efficient and have short run cycles that lead to discomfort with large room temperature variations.

High efficiency furnaces that are attached to poorly designed or leaky duct systems never come close to their rated efficiency.

Installing high efficient air filters that restrict air flow not only affect the efficiency but will not deliver the available heat output of the heating appliance.

A furnace is not like a refrigerator that all you have to do is plug it in.

It's part of a system that depends on other parts.

How To Get The Full Benefits Of A High Efficiency Furnace

1.) Insist that the heating contractor do a heat loss calculation of your home using the industry standard Manual J to specify the right size furnace.

2.) Have the contractor perform a static pressure test on the duct system. A good HVAC company will do this on the initial sales call as well as after the furnace replacement. Doing this helps the contractor evaluate your duct system and avoid all of the problems associated with inferior furnace replacements.

3.) Make sealing the ducts part of the process, its well worth the small extra cost.

4.) Ask the heating company about two-stage or modulating gas valve options for increased comfort levels.

5.) If the salesperson balks at these requests, find another company.

Abiding by these suggestions may increase your upfront costs but will save you month after month and year after year.

One of our customers said it best:

"A low price always costs more in the long run."

By: E Bishop
Ed Bishop brings over thirty years of experience to the art of designing and installing engineered living environments for homeowners and offers the widest array of solutions to improve the safety, comfort, quality and efficiency of new and existing homes.
Please visit www.heating-and-air-conditioning-guide.com

Submitted by:
George Snedrow
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Warm weather has arrived. Now’s the time to consider getting a new air conditioner or updating the one you have. Room air conditioners, central air conditioners, and ones in-between all have their purposes. Whether you have heat but need cool air, need an air conditioner for one room, are living in a historical home that needs air conditioning, are on a tight budget or want to go all out—take a look at the types of air conditioners listed below because there is a right unit for you.

Room air conditioners:

They cool rooms and even though are usually noisier and lower in efficiency, also provide lower costs as they are used in rooms only where they are needed—not the whole house.

Window-mounted

-What it is: Small unit designed to fit in a window. Most are made fordouble-hung windows but some are designed for casement windows. Be sure to pick a unit designed for the type of window the consumer has. Most units include a window mounting kit, which will have sill brackets to support the unit and side vents that make an airtight fit for the window.

-Advantages: Purchase several and can adjust each room’s temperature to individual preferences. Can be removed easily and stored when the season changes.

-Disadvantages: Give up having a view from the window. Must be removed or winterized when cooler weather hits

Through-the-wall

-What it is: Usually used to cool a single room. Functions like a window air conditioner, only is permanently mounted through the wall.

-Advantages: Window is not blocked. Don’t have to remove and store during cooler weather.

-Disadvantages: Not easy to install in a pre-existing home. Has to be installed in an area where there is no electric or pipes running through the walls. May have problems cutting the hole if walls are made of concrete, stone or brick. Unit is hard to hide during the winter months. During the colder months, has to be sealed off to keep cold air from coming in the house

Free standing portable

-What it is: A unit about 30 inches tall and 80 pounds in weight that stands on the floor. May be single or dual vent. Dual vent units circulate clean air back into the room and will usually cool the air quicker. Most have wheels, giving the consumer the ability to move them around. Must be connected to a place like a window where the hot air from the unit can be vented. Most units have window-venting kits, that can be moved from one window to another and that are easy to install.

-Advantages: Portable meaning they can be moved from room to room. Window-mounting not required. Move the air conditioner from the bedroom to the kitchen to the living room depending on where you are during the day. Many have features where the condensation bin doesn’t need to be emptied as frequently, making the unit less of a pain to use and removing moisture from the air in the home, helping to prevent mold. Ability to keep different rooms different temperatures.

-Disadvantages: Costs more that a window-mounted air conditioner with a similar cooling ability level. Similar to central air conditioners.

Mini-split unit

-What it is: Mix between a window air conditioner and a split system. A compressor unit is mounted outside the house and a fan unit is wall-mounted inside the house. The system gets a copper lineset between the outdoor and indoor unit.

-Advantages: They are small and can cool individual rooms. Great for multifamily housing, room additions, rooms over garages and small apartments. The indoor part of the system does not need a window and can be mounted on the floor, hung on the wall, or suspended from the ceiling. Many of the systems even offer a remote control to turn the system on and off. Not noisy since the compressor goes outside.

-Disadvantages: They are more expensive than room air conditioners. Don’t have the built-in look of a central air conditioner unit.

Mini-duct unit

-What it is: They are specially-designed systems for tight spaces, where running conventional duct work is impossible. Forces air through plastic feeder ducts just 2 inches in diameter.

-Advantages: Good for historical homes where duct work wasn’t considered when the home was built. Minimizes renovation costs by keeping walls and ceilings intact. Not noisy. Use about half the air of a conventional air conditioning system.

-Disadvantages: Higher costs to install the system because they require more outlets, about 5 outlets per ton of cooling.

Central air conditioners:

Aside from being more efficient than room air conditioners, central air conditioners are out of the way, not noisy, and convenient to operate.

Single-package unit

-What it is: Everything (evaporator coil, compressor, condenser coil, blower motor, and controls with the exception of the thermostat) located in one metal cabinet box. Sits outside of the house. Each room in the house gets cold air via a duct system.

-Advantages: Get this system and you won’t need a separate furnace indoors.

-Disadvantages: More expensive and complex to install.

Split-system unit

-What it is: The air handler (inside) and condensing unit (outside) have a copper lineset running between them to connect the condenser to the evaporator. They usually share control voltage, but have separate circuits for line voltage power. Each room in the house gets cold air via a duct system.

-Advantages: Makes more economical sense to install if your home already has a heating system but no air conditioner.

-Disadvantages: More expensive and complex to install.

By: Ryan Corey
All Around the Home http://www.allaroundthehome.com is a national home improvement contractor directory. Homeowners can find established, quality contractors such as hvac contractors with experience in installing and repairing air conditioning systems.

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